Roller-skate



(No Model.)

2 SheetsSheet' 1 H. OGBORN. ROLLER SKATE.

d R .W w E w 1w m WITNESSES N. PETERS. PhokrLilhographar, wnhin mn, I10.

2 Sheets-Sheet H. OGBORN. ROLLER. SKATE.

'(No Model.)

Patented July 21 N. versus Pholoiilhogmpmr. wan-mm 11c UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRISON OGBORN, OF RICHMOND, INDIANA.

ROLLER-SKATE.

fiPECEFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 322,846, dated July 21, 1885.

Application filed September 23, 1884. I (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HARRISON OGBORN, a citizen of theUnited States, residing at Richmond, in the county of YVayne and State of Indiai\a,have invented certain new and useful" Improvements in Roller-Skates; and I do here by declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it ap said cushions to meet the variant wants of I persons of different weights.

These skates are very effective in the object that was in View in making them-namely, to afford means for making short and'graceful curves. This result was accomplished by the skater pressing harder upon one side of the skate than upon the other, causing the cushion on that side to become depressed, and turning the wheels partly in the direction in which the skater wished to go. In practice, however, it has been found that while the skate answered this purpose upon level surfaces, any inequality of the latter was liable to change the course of the skater and jar or shock his body. This defect was due to the fact that the bearings of the rocker, so far as the cushion was concerned, were vertically fixed, and no matter how slight the inequality of the surface might be, all the pressure was brought upon the journals of the rocker,and in many cases bending them in such manner that they were useless as rockers, and in other cases rendering the skate useless by breaking off the journals. To overcome this defect one of the journals has been fulcrumed in a vertically-movable piece attached in such a manner to the hanger that, if the wheel should meet any obstruction one end of the rocker would raise, and the shock or jar would be received by the cushion; but skates of this class will not wholly relieve the skater of the jarring movement, as the movable pieces are respectively attached to the front journal of the forward rocker and the rear journal of the back rocker; hence an obstruction that the front rocker would pass over without shock or jar would cause the rocker at the rear end of the skate to receive a shock, and perhapsbreak off the journal in the stationary bearing.

The object of my invention, primarily, is to provide the rocker with such means as will enable the skater to pass without jarring over any obstruction when moving either forward or backward. Another object is to provide means, substantially as described in the body of the specification, and pointed out in the claims, for varying the cramping qualities of the skate.

Several minor objects whereby the general construction of the skate is improved will hereinafter be referred to.

. Myinvention therefore consists of constructions and combinations whereby my objects are obtained, and which will be more fully set forth in the subjoined description, and pointed out in the claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 representsa side elevation; Fig. 2, a longitudinal section; Fig. 3, a vertical section on line :r 00, Figs. 1 and 2; Figs. 4 and 5, details, partly in elevation and partly in section,showing modifications of the device shown in Fig. 2; Fig. 6, a side elevation of a skate adapted for outside'use.

A represents the body of the skate; B, the hangers; O, the rockers; D, the wheels, and E the rubber cushions. The body A may be of any of the ordinary forms, and provided with clamps A of any well-known construction. The heel-iron A may be formed integral with the body,and is provided with openings a, which make that part considerably lighter. Projecting into each opening is a nib, a, which forms with the straight part a? a recess, (1 for straps, which may be used if desired. The hangers B are attached to the body in the usual manner by means of screws, and are provided with recesses 12 for the cushion E. Projecting downwardly from the hangers are nibs B B, having female screws b for screws 1?, which support box B This box is provided with a rectangular open-. ing, b for the cushion E, and sleeves b for the nibs B. vided with bearings b for the journals 0 of the rockers 0, upon which the cushion rests, and is clamped in place by the screws b in the sleeves b. By means of these screws the cushion can be compressed to anyextent, so

that, if desired, the rockerwill be sensitive. to the slightest variation of pressure, or only slightly sensitive to very great pressure. By this construction the cramping qualities of the skate may be varied. For example, if it be desired to increase the cramp the rear journal is slightly lowered and the front one raised by mean of the set-screws on the front hanger, while the rear and front journals of the back hanger are respectively raised and lowered. To decrease the cramp, the raising and lowering of the journals are reversed. By leaving a recess, 1), above the journals 0 and the cushion in a yielding state, the journals will have a free vertical play, so that the skater, if the skating surface be uneven, will not be jarred, as the cushion will receive all the shocks. By leaving this space above both journals the skater may skate backward or forward at ease and without fear of the ordinary obstructions of the skating surfaces.

To prevent the screws b from turning after being set, the under side of the heads are made with inclined faces 0, two in number,

and inclining upwardly and in opposite directions to fit in the wedge-like groove 0 in the under side of the sleeve 1).

Heretofore the rockers C have been attached to the shaft D by a pendent arm or standard 0, either having a sleeve the whole length of that part of the shaft between the wheels or short sleeves d. In the former case the sleeve added too much weight, and had a clumsy appearance, and in the latter the short sleeves were deficient in strength, caused by all the strain sometimes being brought against one of the sleeves. This defect is overcome by adding an intermediate sleeve, (2, which prevents that operation as it (the sleeve d) will impart part of the strain to the middle of the axle, and also compel both sleeves d 'to take up the strain with it.

In Fig. 4 is shown a modification in which the nibs B and the rectangular part of the boX B are dispensed with, so-that the sleeves I) hold the cushion and rocker in place. The sleeves are provided with bearings b formed by grooves 72 which permit of free vertical play of thejournals. When this form is used, the rubber cushion should be inserted in a cup. (Shown in Fig. 5.)

In Fig. 5 the modification differs from that shown in Figs. 1 and 2, in that sleeves b are embraced by guides b projecting from the brace.

The device shown in Fig. 6 represents my preferred form for street or road use, as it is especially adapted for outside use. No matter how uneven the surface may be, the various inequalities will be compensated for by the vertical action of the journals of the rocker which is permitted by the spring-cushion.

In practice the wheels, which may be made of metal or wood, supplied with metal or rubber tires, or such other material as may be desired, are larger than those for indoor use. The hanger, cushion, and rocker are also larger,

as the inequalities of the skating surface of a street or road are liable to be greater than those of a rink or house.

The cushion E in this device has another function, and that is to hold the journal of the rocker in place. This is accomplished by the following means: The rocker is journaled in sleeves on the frame or hanger B. These sleeves have open bearings for said journals. Between the rocker and hanger the cushion is placed. Its pressure forces the journals against the bearings; but if the roller meet with any obstructions the cushion at that part next to the bearing will give sufficiently to prevent the skate from being jarred. Now, if bearings on the hanger be made adjustable the pressure upon the cushion, upon thejournals, and bearings may be varied not only to compensate for wear and the variant weights of the skaters, but to cause the cushion to answer more or less readily to the calls of the rocker when the roller meets with an obstruction.

It can readily be seen that the cushions can be compressed to such an extent that the rockers will only have a slight movement.

What I claim as new is- 1. In a roller-skate, the combination of a hanger having nibs, and sleeves adjustable upon said nibs and provided with open bearings, a rocker journaled in said bearings, and a cushion interposed between said hanger and rocker, substantially as described.

2. In a roller-skate, the combination of a hanger having nibs and guides, and sleeves adjustable upon said nibs, a rocker journaled in said sleeves, and a cushion between the hanger and rocker, substantially as described.

3. In a roller-skate, the combination of a hanger having nibs, a box having a rectangular opening, and sleeves having open bearings and adjustable upon said nibs, a rocker journaled in said bearings, and a cushion interposed between the hanger and rocker, substantially as described.

4. In a skate, a heel-iron having openings a, nibs a, and recess a substantially as described.

5. In a roller-skate, the combination of the hanger having the bearings and groove 0 a rocker journaled 011 said bearings, a cushion interposed between said hanger and rocker, and adj ustingscrews having inclined faces 0, substantially as described.

6. In a roller-skate, the combination of the hanger having nibs, the sleeves provided with open bearings, the rocker-plate journaled on said bearings, the cushion interposed between the hanger and rocker-plate, and the adjusting-screws inserted in said nibs, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HARRISON OGBORN.

WVitnesses:

M. F. HALLEOK, G. A. NEALE.

ICO

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